Whale Win 2nd Straight; Talbot Back In Goal

HARTFORD — — After elevating his game to another level during a playoff run last spring, Connecticut Whale goalie Cam Talbot was brimming with confidence as he prepared for this season.

Talbot was set to be the Whale's No. 1 goalie and No. 3 on the New York Rangers' depth chart. This season could represent the final step on his climb to the NHL.

So imagine how he felt when he broke his left foot while working out in August. His preparation was stalled as his injury healed and he missed the start of the season.

Finally, he was between the pipes for the Whale Friday night at the XL Center. And there was not a hint of rust as he made 26 saves in a 3-1 victory over Hershey before an announced crowd of 3,072.

"It felt great to be back out there," Talbot said. "Its been a long road since August, when I broke my foot. But tonight made it all worth it, coming out and getting a big win for the guys."

The Whale, who were winless in the first four games, have won two in a row. They jumped to a 2-0 lead with first-period goals by Brandon Segal and Tommy Grant, before Ryan Bourque added an empty-net goal with 1 minute, 15 seconds remaining in the game.

Talbot, who served as a backup Wednesday night in Albany, was sharp from start to finish. The only goal he allowed came with 6:35 left in the game, when he was screened Talbot and couldn't stop Dmitry Orlov's shot from the point.

Otherwise, Talbot replicated his playoff performances by controlling rebounds and working seamlessly with his defense.

"I thought he was great," Whale coach Ken Gernander said. "That's encouraging. It's hard with those injuries and frustrating. I'm sure he wanted to start the season and have a great start ... but he worked real hard in his rehab and it's great to see him get off to a good start."

Talbot said he's been cautious in preparing for the season because he wanted to feel ready before seeing game action.

"I didn't want to rush it this year," Talbot said. "A couple of years ago I kind of rushed back from an injury and I wasn't 100 percent. I didn't want to do that this year because it's just the beginning of the year. I didn't want to compromise the rest of the season, so I've been practicing for two or three weeks now, just trying to get my timing back."

So Talbot was physically prepared for his first start after a week of steady practice. Mentally, though, there were some nerves.

"There's always those little jitters before the game," Talbot said. "But they settle down as soon as I get to feel the puck. The guys did a great job of letting me get into the game. They kept them off the shot clock [early]. ... I think that helped me get into the game and settle down and calm my nerves a little bit."

Jason Missiaen started Wednesday and earned his first victory. But Talbot is slotted as the starter and he'll carry the bulk of the work the rest of the way.

Talbot began to distinguish himself down the stretch of the regular season last year and started the playoffs with consecutive shutouts against the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Overall, he had a 2.10 goals-against average and a .939 save percentage in nine playoff games.

He was the primary reason the Whale took eventual Calder Cup champion Norfolk to six games. So he was excited about the upcoming season.

"That's why I didn't want to rush back," Talbot said. "I wanted to be at the top of my game and kind of continue where I left off last year. I think [Friday] was a good steppingstone for that and hopefully I continue to play like this."